The task of producing a consistent golf swing has been the elusive goal of golfers, both amateur and professional, since the early days of the game. There have been many advancements in golf club and golf ball technology, such as golf clubs with oversize sweet spots that help propel poorly hit golf balls in a straight or intended direction. Golf clubs are now fabricated from titanium and other lightweight materials to provide increased distance. However, despite these technologies, a golfer who lacks a proper, consistent golf swing will continue to mishit the ball and suffer from inaccuracy leading only to frustration in the pursuit of being a good golfer.
An improper golf swing can be found among beginners as well as among seasoned players. The difficulty in learning the correct swing is that it is hard to translate theory into practice. It is quite difficult to perform the intricate steps of the correct swing, partly because the crucial moment within the swing lasts for milliseconds only. The participant may, in other words, not know if he/she is performing the swing correctly. Moreover, teaching a participant the “correct” golf swing is problematic. The teacher may see the problem, but may be unable to make the player correct his/her swing.
The “correct” golf swing has been thoroughly documented over the years. Many professional golfers and golf instructors have written books and articles on the topic. Examples of these references include “Pulling The Arrow Out Of A Quiver” by Davis Love; “In-line Delivery Position”, by Jim McLean and “The Magic Move” by Harvey Penick. The key to hitting a golf ball well, is developing a golf swing which allows the player to strike the golf ball with the greatest generated force and as “squarely” as possible. To accomplish this, the participant must perform the entire swing correctly. A key element to the correct swing is to keep the trailing wrist bent during the swing until the point where the club head is within approximately 18 inches of the ball. At that point, the wrists should release and the trailing arm should start to straighten thereby creating a “sling-shot” effect. This will propel the club head to the highest velocity possible just before the impact with the golf ball traveling the maximum distance as a result of the force imparted thereto. The timing of the wrist release not only affects the impact force, it also affects the accuracy: If the release takes place at the incorrect moment in the swing, the club head will impact the ball in the wrong spot resulting in the ball veering of course.
The sequence of actions and elements that comprise a golf swing is affected by many physical factors. For example, the size of the club, the size of the ball, the strength and position of the golfer are all variable factors that affect the distance and trajectory of the golf ball after it is struck with a golf club. These factors considered with the influences of wind, the quality of the lie of the ball, the fatigue and concentration of the golfer, and other variables and conditions make consistent ball striking and delivery quite difficult. While the golfer cannot do anything to affect the influence of the wind, other external factors and other complexities of the game, he or she can, by developing a consistent and repeatable golf swing, consistently control the flight pattern of the ball, its trajectory, the amount of spin or curve, and the distance that the ball travels.
There are numerous elements of a golf swing that have a dynamic influence on the club. These include the alignment of the body at address, the position of the feet, hips, torso and head, the alignment of the arms, the alignment of the hands on the grip, the grip pressure, the relationship of the address position to the ball and the target, the takeaway and subsequent swing plane of the club, the tempo of the swing, the arm extension, the back swing, the subsequent rotation or “coiling” of the body with full shouldered turn, the uncoiling of the body, the weight shift, the downswing, the ball impact, the hand release, the arm extension, the follow-through, the finish and numerous other factors. Accordingly, there is a need for a training device and method of training to assist golfers in the development of proper swing technique and “wrist and arm release” to achieve a consistently repeatable and effective golf swing.
Devices for swing training and teaching proper gripping of a golf club are known in the art, but these devices do not address some of the crucial elements of a “correct” golf swing to be effective. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,346 (Strahan) discloses a golf swing training device. This swing training device has a bent shaft and weighted end displaced from a golf swing center line with a weight that encircles the shaft and can be adjusted vertically thereon. Strahan's swing training device is used to retrain a golfer to perform an inside-out golf swing thus correcting only a single aspect of the swing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,147 (Olsen) discloses a training device with a contoured grip to accommodate a golfer's fingers and to facilitate exact hand positioning. The device is incorporated with a bent shaft and weighted club head. However, this technology can aid only in the appropriate “grip” aspect of the correct golf swing.
These prior patents illustrate prior attempts that have been made to create a golf swing training device that can aid the golfer in his or her attempt to achieve a consistent and proper golf swing and a proper grip. Unfortunately, most, if not all these products require the use of a special training club or floor mat or other device that simply cannot be used when making an actual golf swing and hitting an actual golf ball. As such, none of the prior art can be used while actually hitting golf balls on the practice range or on the course while actually playing golf. While these devices may be suitable for the particular purposes they address, they cannot be used while actually playing or practicing the game. Accordingly, a need exists for a comprehensive swing training device that effectively addresses a full range of golf swing elements for achieving a proper golf swing. Likewise, a need exists for a golf swing training aid that trains the golfer in proper swing technique while utilizing a standard, unmodified club during training.